


She Arrived Barefoot

by DisneyFanatic2364



Series: The World in Gray [2]
Category: Villainous (Cartoon)
Genre: Altered Mental States, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Big Brother Flug, Brother-Sister Relationships, Deal with a Devil, First Meetings, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced Torture, Implied/Referenced Underage Sex, Light Masochism, Light Sadism, Male-Female Friendship, Mental Health Issues, Mental Instability, Mental Institutions, Origin Story, Other, Pansexual Character, Platonic Female/Male Relationships, Platonic Relationships, Swearing, Teenage Rebellion, Underage Drug Use
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-25
Updated: 2020-10-25
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:41:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27188812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DisneyFanatic2364/pseuds/DisneyFanatic2364
Summary: Q: How is it that you (Flug) and Dementia arrived at Black Hat Organization?Flug: Well, it's a funny and cute story: I came by plane, and Dementia came barefoot, obviously.It was a dark and stormy night, when a dazed teenage girl wandered into Black Hat Manor and started causing chaos.My take on Dementia's origin story.This takes place in "The Girl in Black" universe, though can be read by itself.
Relationships: Demencia & Dr. Flug (Villainous), Dr. Flug (Villainous)/Original Character(s)
Series: The World in Gray [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1751923
Comments: 1
Kudos: 15





	She Arrived Barefoot

**Author's Note:**

> WARNING! THIS STORY CONTAINS GRAPHIC VIOLENCE, MALTREATMENT OF MENTAL PATIENTS, HARM TO MINORS, AND IMPLIED/REFERENCED EMOTIONAL, PHYSICAL, AND SEXUAL ABUSE! READER DISCRETION IS ADVISED!
> 
> Well, this is sort of a Halloween story! It's definitely darker than my Flug origin story. This takes place in "The Girl in Black" universe, after "Crash of Fate," though it also works as a stand-alone.

It was a dark and stormy night. The perfect weather for evil.

Dr. Flug was in his lab, mixing together a special chemical compound.

"Yes, yes," he muttered, admiring the glowing green vial in his gloved hands. "If my calculations are correct, with the proper dosage infused, this serum should grant any living organism the regenerative ability of the iguana, the agility of the tree frog, and the, um…well, I'm sure the snake DNA will do _something_. Thus, enabling the subject to be virtually indestructible!"

Lightning struck as he began laughing maniacally. It would've been terrifying if he didn't start coughing up phlegm. Once he recovered, he noticed a small Hatbot butler staring at him with its curious yellow eyes.

"I know, I know!" Flug shouted defensively. "I'll work on the evil laugh, okay?!"

The Hatbot merely tittered in response and rolled off. Sighing, the young doctor made a mental note to make some robots that could hold a conversation.

It had been almost three years since Flug had crash-landed into Black Hat's home. Since then, he'd graduated from Black Hat's Institute For Young Villains and later, the Devil's University of Crime. With his genius, he'd finished his evil education in half the time it usually took. Black Hat had since taken Flug on full-time as his head scientist. The work was hard, but he didn't mind it.

The problem was that at the moment, he was the only employee at the manor. Everyone else was either a robot or a test subject. In short, there was no one he could talk to. Clients would come in, but they usually only spoke with Black Hat, and were never around for long.

Flug wondered if he should put in a request for a lab assistant. Not that he really needed the help. He could just really use the company. Which was strange, as he'd never been very sociable. He'd only had one true friend his whole life, but he hadn't seen her since before the plane crash. But Black Hat had told him repeatedly that villains had no time for friends, so perhaps it was for the best.

Still, Flug had no idea how that demon could stand to live in such a big house with hardly anybody in it. Sometimes the eighteen-year-old scientist wondered if that had been the reason Black Hat had taken him in, so he could have someone to boss around.

Now if only Flug had someone to boss around. Someone that wasn't mechanical, that is.

* * *

When it starts raining, most people whip out their umbrellas or rush to find cover. But the skinny, redheaded girl in the white, green polka-dotted gown did no such thing. Even when the lightning flashed and the thunder rumbled. Holding out her arms to the sides, she splashed down the empty street and twirled around, sticking out her tongue to catch the rapidly falling drops.

It was cold. It was wet. Her bare feet were sore from so much walking. But she didn't care. She was glad to be outside, to feel the rain on her skin for the first time in years. To be _feeling_.

As she danced in circles, she sang in an eerily chipper voice:

" _It's raining, it's pouring,  
_ _The old man is boring,  
_ _He went to bed,  
_ _Cut off his head,  
_ _And really stunk in the morning!_ "

Anyone in their right mind would know to stay away from the enormous mansion in the shape of a top hat. However, this young girl _wasn't_ in her right mind at all. It wouldn't matter if she were watching her step, for anyone would've thought the manhole cover just outside the mansion to be no different from any other manhole cover.

If it didn't have that symbol of a top hat on it.

But how was she to know that? She was enjoying the rain so much!

The moment her foot made contact with the manhole cover, she was sucked into an underground tube. The girl screamed. Not in fear, but in excitement, like she was going down a slide. She even raised her arms above her head.

When she dropped ungracefully onto a stone floor, she groaned not in pain, but disappointment. She had been hoping to land in a pool.

As she sat up, she found herself surrounded by jungle foliage.

"I've heard of rainforests." The girl scratched her head. "But I didn't think that meant being in the rain and _then_ a forest."

When had she last taken her meds? She'd never really been certain of time.

Just then, there was a hissing noise behind her. Turning around, the girl was met with the most enormous snake she had ever seen. Its scales were as black as night and its big, yellow, slit eyes were locked with hers. It opened its giant maw, revealing its sharp, drooling fangs.

The girl grinned brightly. "Cool! Snaky!"

* * *

"Nearly finished," Flug muttered after dropping the last ingredient into the vial. "Now all I have to do is find the perfect test subject." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Hmm. There's no telling how a human being will react to a serum of this nature. It can't be a heroic hostage as it might give them the means to escape. It'd have to be someone impressionable. And to properly test the serum's effectiveness, someone able to withstand an immense amount of pain. Maybe there are some clients who would—"

He was cut off by an alarm sounding on his tablet. It was the Intruder Alert! Hastily rolling his chair over to his desk, Flug picked up the tablet and pulled up the security feed. He was surprised that the alert redirected him to the camera for Lil' Jack's habitat. Because the snake received her food from the outside, the only reason the Intruder Alert would go off was if Lil' Jack pressed the big red button herself. She knew to do that if she was ever in any distress.

At first, Flug saw only plants. Then what appeared to be a black and white blur rolled across the floor. The blur then stopped and he could properly see it was Lil' Jack wrestling with something very pale and very small. Upon enlarging the image, Flug realized it was a human. This wasn't unusual, as it was the snake's dinnertime. _Perhaps Lil' Jack triggered the Intruder Alert by accident?_

Then the snake's prey growled and sunk its teeth into her scales. Lil' Jack hissed and writhed, attempting to bite the intruder back. But the human was quick and dodged to the side, releasing a high-pitched, crazed laugh. Flug watched in shock as the tiny human wriggled out of the snake's grasp and then raced around the enclosure.

Unsure of how to handle the situation, Flug raced down to the dungeon to investigate. Once he'd entered the code, the door to Lil' Jack's enclosure opened. The snake was now huddled in the far corner of the room, shaking and whimpering. Some of her scales had been ripped off and black blood was seeping through her skin.

Knowing the snake could heal quickly, Flug let her be and searched for the intruder. He found her sitting in the opposite corner, humming as she hugged her knees and rocked herself back and forth.

He wasn't going to lie. He hadn't expected the intruder to be a girl, let alone one who looked to barely be in her teenage years. Her pale skin was wet from the rain, her bare feet absolutely muddy. Her soaked, white gown clung to her body, accentuating her ribs. While she'd somehow terrified Lil' Jack, she hadn't come out of the scuffle unscathed. A big chunk had been taken from her left earlobe, though she seemed to be completely unfazed by the blood dripping down the side of her head. Her drenched hair was long and red, hanging unevenly around her face. She wore a wide grin, flashing the black bloodstains on her yellow teeth. Her green eyes were dull and vacant, seemingly staring into nothing.

Flug was at a loss of what to do. He glanced between the girl and the snake. As a villain, it was against the rules to help an injured civilian. But he couldn't just leave her there to be eaten either, as Lil' Jack clearly wanted nothing to do with her. And Black Hat might want to deal with the person who'd harmed his precious pet.

That was another thing. _How_ had she managed to harm Lil' Jack? A giant, man-eating serpent that wasn't even of this world? The curious scientist had to know.

Keeping his eye on the snake, in case her uneasiness wore off, Flug stepped slowly towards the girl who was still humming merrily.

"Um…" He spoke awkwardly as he waved his hand. "H-Hey?"

The girl took one look at him and then screeched at such a high volume that Flug had to cover his ears.

"N-Now, now, calm down, Miss." He hesitantly held out one hand as he approached her. "I-I'm not going to—"

The girl snarled, crawling back against the wall. "Don't touch me, pervert!"

"What? No, I just want to take a look at your—"

"I know what ya wanna look at!" She squeezed her legs together. "Ya ain't getting my pussy today, Doc!" She looked over at Lil' Jack. "Can you fucking believe this guy, snaky?"

Flug was surprised to hear such adult language from a young girl. He also couldn't help but feel a bit annoyed that she trusted the snake more than him.

"And why you wearing some dumb paper bag?" she asked. "Trying to hid your ugly mug, dork?"

He looked at her wearily. "On second thought, I think I'll just let the snake eat you."

Lil' Jack hissed angrily, as if demanding that Flug take the little monster as far away from her as possible.

"Alright, fine." Sighing, he knelt down to the girl's level. "Look. I don't know if you've noticed, but this isn't your home. And your ear is bleeding." He reached towards her. "So, if you'd just come with me, I could take a look at—"

The girl lunged forward and snapped her jaws. Fortunately, his glove prevented her from biting into his fingers. Still, Flug cried out on instinct and shoved the girl away.

"The fuck's your problem, kid?!" he shouted, no longer caring about cursing in front of a child.

"Isn't that _your_ job to find out?!" The girl huffed angrily. "You doctors are all the same! Always trying to get handsy with me!"

Flug then noticed she wasn't making eye contact with him, but looking just below him. Following her gaze, he realized she was focused on his lab coat. Scrutinizing her again, he saw that the thin garment clinging to her body was like something a patient would wear at a hospital. There was also a thin paper band around her wrist. The text was too faded and far away for him to see, but he could make out a barcode.

The girl's erratic behavior and distrust towards him was beginning to make sense.

"O-Okay," Flug said in a softer tone. "Is it the lab coat? Is that what's making you nervous?" He took it off, leaving him in his t-shirt and jeans. "There. Is that better?" He held it out to her. "Um, sorry, I…have nothing else to wrap you up in."

She recoiled as he moved the coat closer.

"You're completely soaked," he said calmly. "You'll catch hypothermia if you don't warm up. Just let me help—"

The girl sprang up and pounced on the doctor. He yelped as she pinned him down and scratched at his bag. Flug had never been one for hand-to-hand combat, and she was ruthless. However, this girl's attacks were unfocused and left a lot of windows of opportunity open. So, once he got over his shock, Flug reached into his coat pocket, pulled out a taser, and pressed it into the girl's side.

She shook as the electricity jolted through her body and she plopped down on top of him. Flug was just about to wriggle out from under her when she suddenly sat up and laughed.

"That was fun! Do it again!"

Flug blinked in bewilderment. "That…that didn't _hurt_ you?"

"Eh." She shrugged. "I'm used to electric shocks."

Groaning in exasperation, Flug picked up his coat and threw it around her shoulders. "Just…come with me, okay? I'm not supposed to leave the door open for long, or else the snake will get out."

The girl flinched uncomfortably at the feeling of the lab coat against her skin, but she didn't resist this time. Perhaps the taser had shocked her senses into order.

"Listen, kid," Flug said, sitting up. "I don't know exactly what you've been through, but I'm not like the doctors you know. I don't give medicine or therapy or whatever they were giving you. I build robots. _However_ ," he lowered his voice, looking her straight in the eye, "if you keep giving me trouble, you being a child won't be a factor in the way I handle you." He held up his taser. "Rest assured, I _will_ hurt you if necessary."

He glanced briefly at her body, his neck turning red. "A-And I, uh…have absolutely _no_ intention of, uh…t-touching you in any i-inappropriate places!"

The girl cocked her head. "The doctors always say it won't hurt a bit. But…you're honest." She grinned brightly. "I like that." She jumped to her feet. "Okay, Doc. Let's go!"

She sprinted to the door and Flug hastily scrambled to his feet. After quickly shutting the door, he ran after the girl.

"W-Wait!" He panted. "Can't…keep…"

Honestly, the girl had wrestled a snake and just been tased. How did she have so much energy?

"Hey, slowpoke!" she said, finally skidding to a stop. "Where we even going?"

Catching his breath, Flug reached towards the girl. She pulled back, until he indicated that he was just reaching for the coat.

"I'll…treat it properly later," he said, taking a roll of gauze out of the pocket. "For now, we should stop your ear from bleeding."

Wrapping the gauze around her head proved to be a difficult task, as she wouldn't stay still. He decided he should distract her with small talk and ask her the questions that had been swimming through his head for the last ten minutes.

"How old are you?" he asked, looking her over.

Now that she was standing to her full height, he could see she was tall for a teenage girl. The top of her head reached his chin. But her thin body and childlike demeanor made it difficult to determine just where she was in her teenage years.

The girl tapped her chin. "Hmm. Let's see. I think I'll be…seven this April?"

"Seven?" He briefly took note of her small but clearly visible breasts, making sure not to stare. "Yeah, there's no way you're seven."

She laughed. "Course not, silly! I said I was _turning_ seven!"

"Please, you can't be any more than thirteen." He then recalled that some girls hit puberty early. "Eleven at the youngest."

"Thirteen?!" She gasped excitedly. "You think I'm a teen?! Cool! That means I'm all big now!" Clapping her hands, she began jumping up and down, messing up Flug's bandage work. "Happy birthday to me! Do I get a cake? Presents?"

"Yeah, sure, whatever. Hold still!" He grabbed her shoulders to get her to stop jumping. "I'll get you a card too, just please, let me finish." Sighing, he started again on the bandage. "So, uh…there a name I can address that card to?"

"Huh?"

"What's your name?"

The girl said nothing for a long while, staring into the abyss. "Uh…my name is…" She glanced down at her wrist. "My name's…Duh-men-shuh? Dementia. Dementia!" She frowned. "I think."

"Dementia?" He paused his bandaging a moment to look at her curiously. "What makes you think your name is Dementia?"

"That's what it says here. So it must be my name, right?"

She held up her wrist, showing what was written on the band. The rain had washed most of the writing away, but Flug could still make out the words "Dementia," "Patient," and "Mental Hospital."

"I see," he said quietly, returning to his wrapping. "Say, uh, Dementia…?" He was certain that wasn't her real name, but he had nothing else to call her. "What are you doing away from your…home?"

"It blew up," she said bluntly.

He wasn't sure if she meant her actual home or the hospital she'd been at. He supposed if a hospital had recently exploded, he would find information about it on the news later. Given how she'd reacted to him being a doctor, he decided not to press further on the topic.

"Are you…all by yourself?" Flug asked gently.

"No." She smiled at him. "You're here, aren't you? So I'm not all by myself!"

He then realized there was little point in getting any concrete answer from her, if that wristband of hers was anything to go off of. While he'd never heard of dementia developing in a teenager, the girl was clearly disoriented due to some mental illness. If those doctors had really treated her poorly, it was possible they'd misdiagnosed her. He was still working on his PhD in Psychology, but his best guess was schizophrenia. If what she'd said about the doctors was true—it probably was, given her obvious malnourishment and averseness to touch—she might also be suffering from PTSD. He'd read stories of asylum patients becoming more mentally unstable than when they'd arrived, due to malpractice or abusive staff.

Of course, Flug was no better, as he'd brought many to his torture table. But it truly made him sick to think that doctors would treat a child so vulgarly when their job was to heal her.

It didn't help that her hair was red, just like someone he used to care about a long time ago. She was also around the same age that person had been when he'd seen her last.

"There," Flug said, tying the bandage in place.

He'd tightly wrapped up her ear, having looped the gauze around her head in a way that it didn't cover her face.

"Hey, whaddya know?" Dementia said chipperly. "Ya didn't touch me in any funny places!" She tilted her head. "Ya gay or something, Doc?"

"N-No!" His neck reddened as he stepped back. "A-Actually I'm…attracted to all genders, but come on, you're just a kid!"

"Teen!"

"Whatever! I'm still too old for you!" Flug pinched the bridge of his nose. "This has…been a long night. And I _still_ don't know what to do with you. I suppose I could just take you to my boss and ask _him_ what to—"

"Boss?" She looked around. "What boss? There other people here?"

He looked at her sincerely. "You _really_ don't know where you are, do you?"

She shook her head. "No idea. Only ever been one place. And it's gone, so…I'm here now."

"Alright then." He clasped his hands together. "You are at the headquarters of Black Hat Organization. Do you know what _that_ is?"

Dementia scratched her good ear. "The name Black Hat sounds familiar. I think they said it on TV a few times. Course, I prefer watching cartoons. Ooh, and that killer clown movie that was on once!"

Flug sighed. "I'll put it in simple terms for you to understand. We are an organization of supervillains. We sell evil products and defeat heroes."

She gasped dramatically. "Like in the cartoons?"

"Yes, like in the cartoons." He rolled his eyes. "Except we actually get the job _done_. Black Hat is the head of our organization. He's the greatest villain alive, and let me warn you in advance that you do _not_ want to get him ang—"

"Okay, let's go meet him then!" Dementia piped as she started down the hall.

"No, wait! Get back here!"

_Why do I have a feeling this won't be the last time I have to chase after this crazy girl?_

* * *

Getting Dementia to Black Hat's office was like herding a curious cheetah on steroids. She was incredibly fast and easily distracted, gaping at every little thing she saw. Honestly, Flug would've preferred the cheetah. At least cheetahs didn't _talk_.

"Why's the ceiling so high? Are those real skulls? Why's it so dark in here, hasn't your boss ever heard of electricity? Who's the handsome weirdo in all the pictures? Why do ya wear goggles, ya going swimming or something?"

 _Holy science, does this girl_ ever _shut up?!_

"We're…here," Flug panted when they'd finally reached Black Hat's office.

He'd finally resorted to dragging the girl by her hair. The poor doctor was incredibly weary as he knocked on the large pair of double doors.

" _WHAT?!_ " Black Hat's demonic voice boomed from inside, causing Dementia to finally cease her attempts to break away.

"I-It's me, sir," Flug called weakly.

He heard an annoyed groan. "Come in, if you must."

Gulping, the scientist, opened one of the doors by a crack and peered through. It was so dark that he couldn't see anything until lightning flashed, illuminating the demon sitting at the desk. He looked very distraught, as usual.

"Well?" Black Hat said, raising an eyebrow. "Go on, Flug. What's so important that you chose to interrupt my work?"

Flug didn't see any work on the desk, but valued his life too much to comment on it. "W-Well, uh…y-you see, sir, I—"

A childish squeal interrupted him. Dementia, who had somehow pulled free from his grasp without him noticing, burst through the doors and dashed across the room. Just as Black Hat snapped the lights on to better see what was going on, the feral teenager hopped onto his desk and lunged her face into his.

"Hey, you're that handsome weirdo in all the pictures!"

Black Hat stood and backed away in astonishment. "What in the—?"

"I like your hat!" She reached forward and pinched the brim of his top hat. "You're the Black Hat guy, right? Get it? Cuz ya wear a _black hat_?"

Pulling his hat tighter over his head, he stepped even further back. "Now see here, you—"

"Can I have your jacket? The one the doc gave me is so _boring_!"

Black Hat jumped when the girl suddenly appeared behind him, pulling at his trench coat.

"Ooh-hoo-hoo!" Her tongue stuck out as she ran her fingers along the fabric. "So _soft_!"

Scowling, he snatched his coat away. "How _dare_ you lay your filthy hands on—?"

"What are these flappy things? Are they like little umbrellas for shoes?"

He looked down in front, finding the girl now poking his spats. "Leave those alone!"

He moved to kick her when she rapidly grabbed onto his leg, curling her legs around his ankle. Black Hat grunted as he attempted to shake her off, but she held on tight.

"Whee-hee-hee! Higher, Daddy, higher!"

"FLUG!" he bellowed, snatching the girl by the hair. " _WHAT_ IS THIS… _THING_ , AND _WHY_ IS IT _HERE_?!"

From a safe distance across the room, Flug pointed a shaky finger. "Th-That's, uh…D-Dementia, s-sir."

Black Hat managed to pry the girl off and held her at arm's length. As she dangled by her hair, she kicked her feet in all directions, giggling as if this were a game. He then extended his arm all the way across the room and dropped the girl beside Flug. Before she could dash back to the boss, Flug swung his arms around her, accidentally getting a little too close to her chest.

"Fresh!" Dementia huffed, digging her heel into his foot.

The scientist wailed as he was forced to release her.

"Ooh, what's this?" she asked, racing towards a shelf of priceless artifacts.

Before she could touch any of his treasures, Black Hat snapped his fingers, causing a cage to appear around the girl.

"Hey!" she whined, grabbing the bars. "No fair!"

"There! Now that _that's_ settled!" Black Hat glared at his young scientist. "You have precisely one minute to explain _why_ you've disgraced me with this _monstrosity_ , before I PULL OUT YOUR RIBS ONE BY ONE AND FEED THEM TO THIS ANNOYING, RABID FLEDGLING!"

Shrinking under his boss' towering figure, Flug rapidly stammered, "W-W-Well, she…s-s-set off the Intruder Alert in L-Lil' Jack's h-habitat!"

The demon's claws started growing. "And _why_ did you not _leave her to the snake_?!"

"I-I w- _would_ have, b-b-but she, uh, k-kind of…w-well," Flug winced as his voice became a high-pitched squeak, "f-fought off the snake?"

Black Hat seemed to calm down a little. "What?"

"Oh, yeah!" Dementia exclaimed, surprising both men as she popped up between them. "The big snaky and I did a little wrestling! She bit my ear, so I bit her back!"

Black Hat and Flug glanced between her and the cage. The bars appeared to be undamaged, and the lock untampered with.

"H-How did—?" the scientist started to say.

"Oh, I squeezed through the bars!" Dementia patted her sides. "Doctors said I should put on weight, but it helps being skinny!" She poked Flug's stomach. "Say, you're awfully skinny too, Doc! There any meat on those bones?"

"A-As you can see, sir," Flug said, pushing Dementia back by the shoulders, "I have no idea what to do with her! Lil' Jack was too scared to eat her, and I can't," he grunted as she reached for his bag, "get her to sit still for—DO YOU MIND?!"

"Nope!" Dementia kicked him in the shin.

Crying out, he reached down to cradle his shin. Dementia took the opportunity to poke his goggles so hard that it actually hurt the eyes behind them. He screamed and dropped his foot to shield his eyes.

"You make funny noises!" She laughed and punched him in the stomach.

"Ow!" Flug bent over as he held his sore stomach. "What the fuck's the matter with you?!"

"Hmm." Dementia paused a moment, as if really thinking about it. "Amnesia, anorexia, bi-polaroid disease I think it's called…" Flug grunted in annoyance. "Sorry, did ya _want_ me to go alphabetically?"

The scientist narrowed his eyes. "Permission to annihilate her, boss?"

"Ugh, you're no fun!" She turned her attention to Black Hat. "So, do ya have a nose, or do ya smell through your mouth or what? Is it invisible like your ears or do you just have them in a different place or—?"

"ENOUGH!" Black Hat shouted, making himself five meters tall, his eye glowing red and his claws bared. "IF YOU DON'T SIT DOWN AND HOLD YOUR TONGUE THIS SECOND, I'LL RIP IT OUT OF YOUR MOUTH SO THAT YOU'LL NEVER SPEAK IN THAT _EAR-GRATING_ VOICE EVER AGAIN!"

Most beings would cower at a threat like this, especially coming from Lord Black Hat. However, as Dementia gazed up at the terrifying demon, she wore a look of excitement.

"Is that a _promise_?"

Black Hat faltered, returning to his original form. Now _he_ was staring at the girl like she was insane.

"That's a pretty neat trick!" She clapped her hands and jumped up and down. "Can you do it again?"

Seeing that he was getting nowhere with this little maniac, Black Hat turned to Flug, who had managed to stand back to his full height. Though he was still rubbing his sore tummy.

"Did you not consider," the demon said impatiently through his teeth, "the possibility of shooting her on sight?"

"I, uh, did tase her, sir." Flug tapped his fingers together. "B-But she, uh, got right back up?"

"Did she?" Suddenly interested, Black Hat looked back at the girl, who was now attempting to lick her own elbow. "Where did you say you were from, Miss…?"

" _Duh-men-thuh_!" she said with her tongue out, spinning around as she chased her elbow.

Deciding this girl wasn't the most reliable source, Black Hat pulled Flug aside. "What information do you have on this, err…mongrel?"

The young man shrugged. "N-Nothing much, sir. From what I can deduce, she's an escaped mental patient from some hospital. She, uh, doesn't seem to be aware of her surroundings, or have a sense of who she is. She calls herself Dementia because that's what her wristband says, though I've never heard of a case of dementia in a teenager before."

Flug glanced sideways at the girl, now sitting on the floor and trying to touch her foot to her forehead. "She's clearly got _some_ sort of mental illness. And, uh…" He lowered his voice. "I suspect she may have also suffered from some kind of abuse of a, uh," he shifted uncomfortably, " _sexual_ nature."

Black Hat looked over at Dementia as she attempted to fit her fist into her mouth. For a brief moment, Flug could've sworn he saw a flicker of… _sympathy_ in his boss' eye?

"That would explain a few things," Black Hat said gruffly. "And you say she… _attacked_ Lil' Jack?"

"Oh, uh, Lil' Jack will be fine, sir," Flug assured him. "Dementia, uh, tore out a few scales, but, y-you know she'll heal in no time!"

"And she slid through those bars," Black Hat said, glancing at the cage, "as if it were exceedingly simple." He stroked his chin. "She has quite a lot of…stamina for such a young thing. And a raw savagery that could be…"

He trailed off, unable to think with Dementia chewing noisily on her own arm. Growling, Black Hat extended his arm and picked a book off the shelf.

"Here!" he shouted, chucking the book at her. "Entertain yourself." He turned back to Flug. "Now, as I was saying…"

The chewing sound started up again. This time, her teeth were gnawing at the book he'd thrown at her.

"Stop that!" He glided over and snatched the book away. "That's a first edition, you mongrel!"

Dementia gagged. "Thought it tasted old."

Black Hat considered frying this girl alive so he wouldn't have to deal with her anymore.

Then, taking a deep breath, the demon collected himself and smiled amicably at the girl. "You must be hungry, Miss Dementia."

She nodded rapidly.

"Would _this_ suffice?" Black Hat asked.

With a wave of his claw, he summoned a raw, juicy steak. Dementia stuck her tongue out and held up her hands like a begging dog.

"You want it?" Black Hat threw the meat into the corner farthest from him. "Go get it."

Dementia bounded after the steak and immediately tore into it with her teeth. Black Hat grinned in approval as he turned back to the scientist.

"Flug, didn't you put in a request for a test subject for your latest experiment?"

"I did, but…" Flug glanced at Dementia as she gnawed the meat noisily, realization dawning on him. "S-Sir, you don't mean…? She's hardly of sound mind!"

"Exactly." Black Hat chuckled. "She's barely human as it is. Injecting that serum in her will hardly make a difference."

Flug tapped his fingers together, keeping his eye on Dementia. "She's just a kid."

"You were hardly much older than her when you signed yourself over to me." The demon lowered his voice as he put an arm around Flug. "Just look at her. Already a fierce little thing, and quiet the escape artist. Imagine if she were indestructible. We could mold her into a powerful weapon."

Flug looked down at his feet. "I…I don't know."

Black Hat frowned. "Don't tell me you've suddenly decided to grow a _conscience_." He dug his claws into the doctor's shoulder. "Or did you forget that there were also _children_ on that plane?"

Flug clutched the plane crash logo on his shirt. "It's just…she reminds me of…someone. I-I know it's silly, but…I don't want her dead."

Black Hat whispered in his ear. "Then don't fail in your experiment."

The doctor wanted to say more, but the boss' mind was already made up, and defying him would be suicide. Not to mention Black Hat had a point. Flug had harmed minors before. Why should this girl be any different?

Dementia had devoured her steak with the voraciousness of a hyena. Her face was splattered with meat and blood. All that remained of the steak was the inner bone, yet she was attempting to chew on that as well.

Putting on his most charming smile, Black Hat placed his claws behind his back and approached the girl. "Would you be interested in working for me, Miss Dementia?"

"Huh?" Dementia spat out the bone. "Ya mean like a job? Aren't there child labor laws or something?"

Black Hat snorted. "You're smarter than you look."

She grinned brightly. "Thanks!"

"Normally, yes, I don't hire minors."

Flug cleared his throat.

"Except in special circumstances, of course." Black Hat gave Flug a warning glare not to interrupt him again. "But in this house, _I_ am the law here." He brought his claw proudly to his chest. "So if _I_ say you are fit to work, there is nothing the authorities can do to prevent you from doing so."

Dementia cocked her head suspiciously. "What kinda work we talking here?"

"Oh, the usual mundane tasks." Black Hat rolled his wrist. "Thievery, infiltration, destruction, murder. Whichever you feel suits you."

She blinked. "So I'd be like some…evil henchgirl or something?"

"Hmm." Black Hat rubbed his chin. "In the simplest of terms, yes."

"Cool!" She sat up into a cross-legged position. "Do I get insurance?"

"Even better." He pointed to Flug. "You get your own personal doctor on call."

"Not that kind of doctor," Flug muttered, crossing his arms.

Dementia hissed, scooting backward. "I deal with enough doctors."

"Oh, come now." Black Hat used his talon to direct her chin upwards. "You don't want to go back to that awful hospital, do you?"

Her heart skipped a beat as the demon touched her and she was made to look in that single, calculating eye. Dementia didn't like being touched, but somehow it felt different with Black Hat. His touch was gentle, and although his claw was gloved, it was as cold as ice. Not warm and rough like the hands of those doctors. And he only touched her chin, nothing else.

"Wouldn't you like a roof over your head?" Black Hat asked softly. "All the food you can eat? I can even strengthen those tiny, fragile bones of yours. Make you an unstoppable machine. You already have the potential for evil, Miss Dementia. Why not consider it?

"After all, you have nowhere else to go, do you?"

His voice sent chills down her spine. But she felt anything but creeped out.

"You mean," Dementia said, glancing around the room, "I get to live in this big, humongous house?"

Black Hat nodded. "Consider this your new home, my dear. And us, your… _family_." He tried not to internally gag at the word. "But call me _Daddy_ again, and I kill you."

Oh, she _wanted_ to. But not for the reasons he was thinking.

"Are you saying you… _want_ me here?" Dementia's eyes widened hopefully.

"But of course." Black Hat chuckled as he patted her head.

She shut her eyes a moment, relishing in the feel of his hand on her.

Her memories were out of whack, but one thing was for sure. Dementia had never felt _wanted_ before. Well, the doctors had wanted her for _other_ things. But not Black Hat. He was only focused on her skills, her talents. She'd never considered a life of crime before, but she also had very little sense of right and wrong, so what did it matter?

"Can you write?" Black Hat asked suddenly.

Dementia held up her hand in a so-so gesture. "I went to kindergarten, anyway."

A contract rolled out from Black Hat's claw. "Just sign your name here on the dotted line, and you'll never be alone again."

Dementia stared at the contract, skimming the words though not understanding the legal mumbo jumbo. A floating fountain pen materialized beside her head. She looked at it curiously and then back up at Black Hat.

"I…I wanna hear you say it," she muttered.

He raised an eyebrow. "Say… _what_ , exactly?"

She settled onto her knees and leaned forward. "The words. ' _I want you_.' Say 'em."

The demon showed his fangs as he widened his grin. " _I want you_ , Miss Dementia. I want you to work for me."

Dementia let out a squeal of excitement. That was just what she needed to hear.

As soon as she grabbed the pen, the tip pricked her pinky. She cried out and sucked on the tiny drop of blood.

"Don't worry," Black Hat said. "It was just collecting the ink."

Dementia popped the bleeding pinky out of her mouth. " _Ohhh_ , so this is a sign-the-contract-in-blood kinda thing, huh?"

He winked. "You catch on quick."

"Neat!"

Flug turned away as Dementia signed her name. He didn't want to see this part.

"Welcome to Black Hat Organization, Miss Dementia," the demon said as he made the contract disappear. "I think you'll learn to _love_ it here."

* * *

Black Hat had given Flug one command: "Do what you must."

The first order of business was getting Dementia cleaned up. It wasn't easy, as she had an apparent aversion to the bathtub. Not to mention getting naked in front of Flug.

"No way, José!" she screamed, leaping to the far corner of the bathroom. "You ain't holding my head under water again!"

Flug didn't dare ask what she meant by _again_. "Look. You seem to be a danger to yourself at the moment, so I can't trust you to be left alone, especially with a tub full of water. So, it's either a bath, or I hose you down." He gestured to the tub. "You don't even have to take your clothes off."

She shook her head, and Flug sighed.

"Have it your way, then."

He went over to the shower in the corner and grabbed the showerhead. Before Dementia realized what he was doing, he pointed it at her and fired. She wailed and shielded her face as she was violently sprayed from head to toe.

Next, Flug dressed her wounds, which took almost an hour as she wouldn't stop squirming. He only tended to the injuries he could see, as she still didn't trust him enough to remove her gown.

Then came the matter of clothing her. He searched through his closet and found an old STEM t-shirt and jeans from a few years ago. Flug was saved the trouble of dressing her when Dementia snatched the clothes from his hands.

"I'll do it myself!" she shouted as she slammed the bathroom door.

She reemerged a few minutes later. The jeans were a bit tight around her thighs, but she could walk alright. The shirt was actually quite baggy on her, though Flug's neck reddened when he realized he would have to get her fitted for some bras.

Assuming she survived the night.

Flug then brought Dementia to the kitchen and she practically raided the fridge. She didn't discern between broccoli and ice cream. If it was edible, it was gone within minutes. He didn't stop her, as tomorrow was grocery day anyway.

"Man, this stuff is _way_ better than the stuff in the hospital!" Dementia said, crunching a handful of frozen fish sticks.

As Flug watched the teenager wolf down her food, he dreaded what he was about to do. Perhaps that was why he was indulging her basic needs. If this experiment failed, at least he would've given this girl a sense that she was cared for. Even if just for a few hours.

Not to mention the practical reason of having her be healthy for the test. A stronger subject didn't break as easily.

Then again, Flug didn't offer this courtesy to most of his test subjects.

When Dementia had eaten her fill, she yawned and stretched her arms over her head. "Hey, Doc. Where am I supposed to sleep in this joint?"

Flug sighed as he stood from the table. _Might as well get this over with._

He led her to the lab, and had to tell her fifty times not to touch anything. After picking up the serum from his work table, he opened the door to the back room. Dried blood still stained the operating table, though the sharp instruments on the rolling tray beside it were sparkling clean.

"Yay!" Dementia whooshed past Flug and over to the operating table. "Beddy-bye!"

Like an eager toddler, she leaped onto the table and lay down.

"Come on, Doc!" She held up the leather straps meant for her wrists. "Tuck me in!"

Flug was taken aback. He wasn't used to test subjects being so…cooperative. Especially with how much trouble Dementia had given him all night long. She had reacted negatively to the bath and the first-aid, but acted as if being strapped down to an operating table were an everyday occurrence.

As if this girl wasn't disturbing enough.

"Um…okay." Flug began fastening the straps around her arms. "You, uh…want a bedtime story or something?"

Dementia huffed. "I'm too old for that shit."

"Right." He shook his head and went to secure her legs. "Because that would be…ridiculous."

Normally, Flug would be elated over binding a victim in preparation for torture. But the lack of struggling actually put a damper on the whole situation.

He considered hooking her up to a vital sign monitor, but that would require removing her shirt. No use ruining her moment of compliance. He would just have to proceed without it.

Once Dementia was strapped tightly to the table, Flug went over to the tray of medical instruments and picked up a syringe.

Dementia lifted her head up. "Ya gonna gimme something to put me to sleep, doc?"

"Yes…and no." There was hesitance in Flug's voice as he stuck the needle into the vial of serum. "I'd give you a sedative, but I can't predict what would happen if it were mixed with—"

"Ooh! What's that glowing green stuff?"

Flug set the empty vial down and held up the filled syringe. "A special formula I've been working on." He tapped on the glass as he faced her. "Contains reptilian DNA, specifically iguana, snake, and a bit of tree frog. Designed to increase a mammal's agility, dexterity, durability—"

Dementia frowned. "What's that mean in normal talk?"

Flug sighed. "It'll make you stronger, faster, and, theoretically, harder to destroy."

Her grin came back. "Really?"

"Yes." He was thrilled to actually be talking about his work. "You see, with the iguana's ability to regenerate, and the adhesiveness of the tree frog's toes—"

"Yeah, yeah, cut the nerd speak and just gimme the power shot, okay?"

And just like that, the moment was ruined. Somehow, Flug was feeling a lot less guilty about experimenting on this rude little girl.

"Wait." Dementia said as he stepped up to the table. "This gonna hurt?"

He glanced sideways at the needle. "It might. But as a professional scientist, I can assure that this won't kill you."

He squirted the contents of the syringe to rid it of air bubbles. "Probably."

Dementia bit her lip as the glowing green serum reflected in her eyes. Flug's guilt was slowly returning.

"W-Would you like me to wait until you're asleep?"

"Nah. I can take it." Dementia looked up at the ceiling. "I just wanna be able to feel."

"Pain?"

She shook her head. "Just to feel."

Dementia turned back to Flug and noticed that his hands were shaking. "What _you_ getting all squeamish over, Doc? _I'm_ the one you're 'bout to dope up."

He lowered the syringe. "I can't do this."

"Sure ya can! Just stick the needle in the arm and—"

"No, no!" Flug waved his hands dismissively. "I can't! I know you're _already_ damaged and you've probably been put through a lot worse, but…" His gaze focused on her red hair. "You…you're around the same age that she… You even have the same _hair_!"

Dementia craned her head up. "Who you talking 'bout?"

Instead of answering, Flug asked, "Why were you in that hospital? Did your parents put you there?"

She shrugged her shoulders as best she could with her restricted movement. "Don't have any parents. I disowned 'em."

Flug had always felt disowned by his own parents. He sort of admired Dementia for turning the situation around as if it had been _her_ choice.

"You look sad," she said suddenly. "My other doctors never looked sad. They always smiled, but I never smiled back." She squinted at his paper bag. "I can't even see if _you're_ smiling, but I know you ain't."

This was probably the most serious Flug had seen her all night.

"Are you even aware of what's happening now?" he asked.

She eyed the syringe. "I know you're gonna make me bigger and stronger! So hurry up with the juice, Doc! It'll make it easier for me to hurt 'em!"

"Them?" He raised an eyebrow. "You mean the people from the hospital?"

She snarled. " _Anyone_ who bothers me."

Flug glanced at the syringe and then back at her. "You want to… _hurt_ the people who hurt _you_."

It wasn't a question.

"Well…yeah." She focused back on the ceiling. "So you know, I get something, you get something, sounds like a win-win if you ask me. Just don't touch me in any funny places or I bite your ear off!" She paused. "Never mind. I'll bite your bag and _then_ your ear off!"

Flug understood now. She _wanted_ this. Despite her eccentricity, Dementia wasn't completely oblivious. Perhaps she didn't understand the risks of the serum, but she had an idea of what to do if it worked.

As stressful as the life of a villain was, as cruel as his boss could be, there was no place Flug would rather be than Black Hat Organization. He'd been close to the same age as Dementia when he'd made that deal, but old enough to know what he'd signed up for. Dementia was no different.

The risks didn't matter to her. All she wanted was a purpose, a sense of belonging, and most importantly, _revenge_.

 _Andy, forgive me_ , Flug prayed silently. _But she's just like me._

"Alright, Dementia." He gently took her right arm and rotated it so the inside of her elbow was facing up. "If you survive this first dose, I'll take you shopping for some new clothes."

"Wait." Dementia shot her head up. " _First_ dose?"

But Flug wouldn't allow any more stalling and pierced the needle into her vein.

At first, the pressure in her arm was all she felt. Then, the moment Flug removed the syringe, her entire body jolted upwards. The muscle spasms quickly became more violent, her head hitting the table repeatedly.

It was like a snake was slithering _inside_ her body. And it was _growing_.

Once she became accustomed to the sensation, her screams transformed into fits of hysterical laughter.

The pain was like adrenaline to Dementia. It reminded her that she was alive, that she existed, that she wasn't in a waking dream. Flug didn't understand it. Then again, doctors never did.

Although she'd lost all sense of self, the pain was the one constant. The one feeling she could be sure of.

Her last thought before she passed out was: _Can't wait to see what's next._

**Author's Note:**

> At first I thought this one-shot might establish Dementia's attraction to Black Hat, but it turned out to really be more about her relationship with Flug. I feel they're like the bickering brother and sister, especially with the recent crossover episode. Obviously, they can't stand each other, but I think they do share a sort of kinship.
> 
> And yeah, I believe Dementia's been through a lot, and is a lot more aware than she lets on.


End file.
